Child & Family Services’ Caring Network Program Receives $20,000 from United Way of Greater New Bedford

NEW BEDFORD, MA (July 21, 2026) — Child & Family Services’ Caring Network Program has received a $20,000 Community Impact Grant from the United Way of Greater New Bedford to help children who have witnessed or experienced violence in their home, school, or community.

For thirty years, the Caring Network has guided children aged 4-14 through their trauma by providing free weekly psycho-educational groups. These groups are a safe space for children to share their experiences, build their self-esteem, and develop healthy coping strategies.

Children who have witnessed or are victims of violence often experience flashbacks, fear, anxiety, anger, and trouble eating and sleeping. By working through physical and emotional conflict, the Caring Network adapts to children’s needs to teach them how to manage their feelings, create safety plans for potential future violence, and cultivate ways to mitigate conflict.

“As a grant-funded program, Caring Network’s lifeline to continued success is the community partners who uplift and support the program’s mission to work with children who have been exposed to violence,” said Larissa Correia, Program Director of Caring Network. “I am grateful for the continued support we receive from United Way, which allows us to provide our groups free of cost to children as early as in preschool through 8th grade who have been exposed to violence such as domestic violence, abuse, neglect, bullying, and violence in their neighborhoods.”

United Way of Greater New Bedford’s Community Impact Grant is part of the organization’s commitment to strengthening our community through strategic investments in programs that improve lives and create lasting change. This year, United Way awarded $400,000 in Community Impact grants to 25 local nonprofit organizations addressing critical needs across its focus areas of Healthy Community, Youth Opportunity, and Financial Security. These grants support evidence-based programs and services like the Caring Network program that help individuals and families thrive while advancing solutions to some of the region’s most pressing challenges.